The Fight in Two Brothers
by PagesFromTheBasement
Summary: Even the best of brothers fight. Sometimes they fight each other, sometimes with forces so great, they barely seem conquerable. But they will forever be brothers, and they are fighters.


"Fili?"

Fili glanced down at his younger brother, who was staring up at him with those coffee-coloured eyes, wide with innocence. His wild shock of hair was tangled up in branches and leaves, sure evidence that Kili had been running around the forest, _without _Mother's permission.

Fili raised one eyebrow and placed his most authoritative glare on, much like Uncle Thorin, who nobody ever messed with.

"Have you been running around without Mother or me again?" Fili questioned, "'cause I'm pretty sure that she said that you couldn't leave the house without me or Uncle Thorin. Remember the rabbit incident?"

Kili looked down at his small leather boots and muttered, "But, Fili, there was a dwagon! He wanted me to chathe him!"

Fili laughed at his younger brother's antics and tilted Kili's head up towards him.

"Kili, you _know_ Mother said that you weren't allowed to leave the house," Fili said, with a lilt in his voice, "but I suppose this one time I won't tell Mother that a dragon was playing with you." Nobody could resist his puppy eyes, anyway.

Kili gave him an impish, gap-toothed grin and scratched behind his ear, knowing Fili was going to let him free.

"But next time," Fili said in big-brother manner, "you're gonna get it!"

Kili paid no attention to this and gave the most cajoling look he could muster, complete with the eyelid bats and the signature slightly turned down mouth.

Fili gave the Uncle Thorin look of disapproval and wagged his finger at Kili.

"No puppy eyes, Kee. You know they never work on me." _Yeah, right. Who couldn't feel sorry for an abandoned little boy with puppy eyes? Even though he's by far the most spoiled Dwarf in all of Middle-Earth. _

Fili sighed and knitted his eyebrows. Mahal help him, Kili could be such a pain. He stood there for several moments, until a tug on his tunic interrupted his thoughts.

"Fili?"

"Yeah?"

"You thaid that you-you would show me how to fight a dwagon, Fili," Kili lisped, "so I bwought you a knife so you could teach me!"

Kili bent down and pulled a knife from his boot, with his slight chest puffed out, revelling in the fact that he found something of use. With all the reverence of a knight, Kili placed the knife in his brother's lap.

Fili tried to stifle back a hysterical laugh as he inspected the knife. Hiding his growing laughter in a cough, he handed the knife back to Kili.

"I think I might have a better knife for you, Kee. This knife is certainly not worthy of such a swordsman the likes of you."

_A butter knife! My baby brother brought a butter knife to fight with! A butter knife! _Fili thought with a fragment of a grin on his face.

"C'mon, Kili. We'll find a better knife for you," Fili said, holding out his hand.

Kili's face crumpled and one large, fat tear rolled down his grass-stained cheek. He scrunched his eyes shut and his lower lip began to tremble.

"But, Fiwi," Kili said in a pleading tone, "that's _my_ knife! I founded it and I wanna use it! Pwease, Fili? Pwease?"

Trying valiantly to keep a straight face, Fili crouched down to look at his brother in the eye.

"Kili, you can't fight dragons with such a small knife. That dragon would eat you up in no time! Kili, you _need _a better knife," Fili argued.

"But why?"

"Because, Kili, you do!"

"But why do I need a better knife?"

"Because!"

"Why?"

The argument lasted for another two or three minutes, until Uncle Thorin conveniently decided to walk in, the scent of Dis' stew drawing him in like wolves to deer.

"Uncle!" Fili cried, latching onto his arm and dragging him to Kili.

"Kili is determined that his butter knife is good for fighting _dragons_!" Fili almost shouted, waving his arms dramatically, "and I have told him so many times, but he won't listen! I jus-"

"But I want my knife, Unca Thorin," Kili interrupted.

"See?" Fili shouted in frustration, his face flushed with anger and his braids slowly becoming undone.

Fili placed his oversized hands on his hips, foot tapping impatiently as he waited for Uncle's verdict. Kili strategically used the puppy face to persuade Uncle Thorin to his side.

Thorin inwardly groaned at his nephews' arguments. _Of course, you could not kill a dragon with a butter knife. But Kili is so young. Does he need to know about the atrocities of this world? There's no better time to tell him. But Fili is correct, and why encourage Kili in believing foolish things?_

Thorin heaved a great sigh and grabbed his nephews and placed them on his knee. Fili had the grin of a triumphant dwarf on his face; Kili still had the look of a dejected puppy.

Fili 'nudged' Kili in the ribs. "Uncle Thorin is gonna tell you that a butter knife is no good for killing dragons and _I'll_ be right."

Kili took a moment to contemplate this and eventually just stuck out his tongue and blew, spraying spit all over Fili. Fili recoiled and looked confused. Then his jaw clenched and he drew back a fist to clobber Kili, his annoying little brother, who didn't know what was right. All thoughts of calmness and control disappeared as Kili and Fili went at each other, fierce as wildcats.

Thorin was able to quickly end the childish brawl, by holding each of them by the collars of their tunics, much like a mother cat to kittens.

"Fili," Thorin started. Fili looked at him expectantly. "You were correct in wanting to educate Kili on the dangers of butter knives. But you also must remember your brother is only 12 summers old, and you are almost twenty. Am I correct?"

Fili nodded and bowed his head.

"Although I do want Kili to learn the ways of Middle Earth, he is still young and does not need to know everything," Thorin reprimanded gently.

Kili was about to give a triumphant smile to his elder brother, but Thorin cut him off with his serious look.

"What have I taught you about listening to people who are older and wiser than you?"

"That –that they've lived lots longer than me, and, and know more thtuff, and I should always lithen to Fili and Mama and you," Kili recited hesitantly.

"Did you do that today?" Thorin questioned.

"But- but, I," Kili stuttered, "I wanted _my_ knife. It works jutht fine!"

"Kili, I asked you a question."

Kili hung his head in shame from Thorin's calm berating. "No."

Thorin gave a soft chuckle and embraced his nephews. His nephews, who's arguing can be heard over all Middle Earth, his nephews, who are as close as two brothers could ever be. His nephews. Dis' sons, the light of both their lives.

Fili and Kili both broke away, Fili tugging on Kili's hand, laughing, "C'mon, Kili! Let's go find a real knife!"


End file.
